Thursday, July 28, 2011

And Then I Had Kids...

My Mom recently gave me this book, "And Then I Had Kids". I've started reading it and several times I have either broken out into laughter or lots of tears...I can relate so much with what the author is saying! Motherhood, while being the fulfillment of so many of my dreams, is quite challenging at times and some days are just plain yucky, mundane and at the end of the day I'm COMPLETELY spent!

I've found great encouragement from Susan Yate's book and I wanted to share a few excerpts with you, my Mommy friends!

She describes how frustration for Mom's can be caused by monotony, lack of accomplishments, seeing others acquire recognition, etc. She says, "Every day is likely to be the same, and there appears to be no end in sight to the runny noses, dirty diapers and cereal all over the floor! Days run into weeks. Weeks run into months. Life begins to blur into one long mind-numbing series of chores!"

I think most of us can relate with the fact that with small children, it's diffcut to do anything that lasts. It seems that just as you've mopped the floor one spills their juice, or after you've rounded up all the toys and put them away, more are dragged out downstairs, and that pile of laundry just keeps on coming...so the feeling of accomplishment quickly fades!

She goes on to say, "There's a sense of feeling overwhelmed with things that have no "lasting value". The tendency is to equate progress with self-worth. In the home with young ones, there is often little progress to see. I've wondered about how much we talk about material progress and accomplishments in this century. In a sense, progress seems to have become an idol. Progress is considered to be inherently good. According to the logic of the day then, what she's doing is not particularly worthwhile, and consequently she's not particularly worthwhile"...the Mother struggles with the feelings of lack of accomplishment.

Later she says, "As we attempt to cope with frustrations common to all mothers, we need to see ourselves as God sees us. We must realize afresh that our self-worth is not dependent upon seeing material progress, success, or accomplishment each day. God's love for us is not dependent on how much we seem to get done or how successful we seem to be. He loves us just because we are His, and nothing we do or don't do can change that! In times of frustration I have found it very comforting to curl up with one of the Psalms. They are full of frustrated pleas, and yet peace always is within reach as we focus on God's goodness and faithfulness. His joy is far greater than our frustrations. So when those inevitable moments come, we can be encouraged by meditating on His love for us."

Psalm 145:8-9 "The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works."

Hope you are encouraged a little. As you focus on God's unconditional love for you, you begin to realize that all the little frustrations pale in comparison! Hallelujah, praise the LORD!!

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About Me

I feel really fortunate to be married to my best friend, Adam, since August of 2003. God has blessed us with four of the most precious children, they keep me very busy and certainly on my toes! I enjoy being able to stay at home with them making memories, and learning together...more often then not its a real pleasure!